Stand alone/Sequel

[Diviner]

My writing teacher shocked me yesterday when he said, "When are you going to start shopping this around?"

There are two parts to this question: should I send out queries before it is finished? (90000wc) so far;
and, this is a sequel: should I send out queries on #2 before I have given up on #1?

Quite honestly, #2 is a stronger, tighter book. It has a few references to what happened in #1, but is in no way dependent on it except as back story. Originally, I had planned it as part two of the first book, but there was just too much story there, so I split it.

What is a sensible way to deal with this?

[Judg]

Do not shop around an unfinished work of fiction. Yes, you will find the occasional rare example of someone who did it successfully. But as a general rule, you will annoy an agent greatly if you win them over and then tell them you haven't even finished the first draft. You do not want to annoy agents. Or publishers, who would be even more ticked off.

[Cathy C]

Being as this is your first book (well, the first one you're hoping to get published, anyway,) my advice is to finish the book first. If you're at 90,000 and have another 10,000 to go, it's not that long a wait. If you're at 90,000 and have another 40,000 to go, then you'll want to finish it and then edit it extensively to trim it down to around 100,000 (the going size for most entry-level midlist books.)

As for it being the second book, I wouldn't worry about that. The first book in one of our series wound up being fourth in line in the series. The second book was simply stronger overall and we wrote a couple of sequels to it before it was time to put out the first book. Most reviewers agreed that that the order of release was correct, since the original book was much too complex to BE a first book.

Good luck with it! :)

[Will Lavender]

What is a sensible way to deal with this?

Finish the book.

[Kristin Landon]

Anyone who likes the book well enough to buy it will work with you to make it work as the first in a series.

I sold a book for which I had only vague notions of a sequel, but they also bought the sequel. This necessitated writing the last third of the first book completely from scratch, after the sale, so the two books would flow together. My editor and I discussed the situation and agreed on a revised outline, I wrote it, and it worked. In fact, it was quite a bit better than the book they bought.

[Feathers]

Not an expert, but I would think it wise to finish the book before you do anything else. From what i've heard, publishers don't like or won't buy unfinished fiction anyway.

[David I]

It sounds as though the second book is the one you should shop around. Finish the book. And let it sit. And edit and revise. And let it sit some more. (And start something else!)

Not only should you not shop unfinished work, you shouldn't shop unpolished work (no matter how great your opening chapters may be). You shouldn't send out work that you haven't let rest long enough to get some perspective on. Big matters like proportion and pacing sometmes only become apparent when you have time to look at the book from the outside.

Most of the time you only get one shot at a given agent or publisher with a given manuscript. Relax and take your time.

[Diviner]

Do not shop around an unfinished work of fiction. Yes, you will find the occasional rare example of someone who did it successfully. But as a general rule, you will annoy an agent greatly if you win them over and then tell them you haven't even finished the first draft. You do not want to annoy agents. Or publishers, who would be even more ticked off.

That's what I told my writing teacher, but he disagreed. He has a strong argument for getting the process started, but his experience has been with non fiction proposals, and he is published.

Thanks.

[Judg]

Nonfiction is an entirely different kettle of fish. Maybe because it's so much easier to write... :D

[Diviner]

Anyone who likes the book well enough to buy it will work with you to make it work as the first in a series.

I sold a book for which I had only vague notions of a sequel, but they also bought the sequel. This necessitated writing the last third of the first book completely from scratch, after the sale, so the two books would flow together. My editor and I discussed the situation and agreed on a revised outline, I wrote it, and it worked. In fact, it was quite a bit better than the book they bought.

I hope this is true. My first book is chronologically earlier than the second, when the protagonist is a little younger.
What happens in it sets him on a life path different from his dreams, which is the second book. The books are Historical Fiction, not fantasy, so the chronology is logical.

[Diviner]

It sounds as though the second book is the one you should shop around. Finish the book. And let it sit. And edit and revise. And let it sit some more. (And start something else!)

Not only should you not shop unfinished work, you shouldn't shop unpolished work (no matter how great your opening chapters may be). You shouldn't send out work that you haven't let rest long enough to get some perspective on. Big matters like proportion and pacing sometimes only become apparent when you have time to look at the book from the outside.

Most of the time you only get one shot at a given agent or publisher with a given manuscript. Relax and take your time.

Thanks. I have no trouble taking my time, though I am eager to get it finished and in the hands of beta readers. My writing group/class has heard it only in installments, and I am really interested if it works for actual readers who go straight through.

As for polishing, it is close to there. This is not a first draft. And I do have another series, beta read but not yet submitted anywhere, that has a few loose ends to tie up, which will keep me fairly busy.

[Tallymark]

With non-fiction you often will submit the proposal, get a publisher's to back you, and then write the book. But it's the total opposite with fiction--the book needs to be done before you submit. If you were a previously published author, submitting proposals for a second book to an editor you're already working with, that would be the only exception, otherwise, you pretty much need to have it done before you try to talk to them about it.

And it sounds like the second book is the one to shop...if it does well, your editor may help you strengthen up the first one, and you could always release it as a prequel.